Capitals, Wizards owner Ted Leonsis acquires Arena Football team

WASHINGTON -- Ted Leonsis' Monumental Sports & Entertainment announced it has acquired an expansion Arena Football League team to begin play at Verizon Center in the spring of 2017.

Washington will join the eight other teams in the league. The team does not yet have a name.

Commissioner Scott Butera said in a recent phone interview that the AFL liked Washington as a market because of geography and Monumental's ownership. Leonsis' company owns the NBA's Wizards and NHL's Capitals as well as the arena.